The further and continuing adventures of the girl who sat in the back of your homeroom, reading and daydreaming.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Long Now Clocks In

Okay, here's the plot: a zillionaire businessman is setting up his own space program; he's also funding construction of an enormous all-mechanical clock, hidden inside a mountain, automatically set by sighting the noon sun, wound by the difference in temperature between daytime highs and nighttime lows, ticking once every ten seconds, tolling once every thousand years and designed to last ten thousand years--

And it is stunning. At the very least, he'll leave something to freak out the next civilization.

Earlier today, I wrote about my general suspicion and dislike of "Great Leaders." Flip side, I do think one man can change things for everyone, if he's standing in the right place, using the right lever -- and gets enough folks pitching in. Not all such movers are politicians and not all of the change wrought is for the worse. Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse? Scoot over.

He's already spending plenty on spaceflight -- what else would you have him spend it on that benefits the species?

Once you lay off the stopgap charity, what's left? What do you do to get society back to taking the long view, to dream big and build a better tomorrow on something more substantial than wishful thinking and BS?

"I saw to what extent the people among whom I lived could be trusted as good neighbors and friends; that their friendship was for summer weather only; that they did not greatly propose to do right; that they were a distinct race from me by their prejudices and superstitions."